What are the difference between the manga section and the others here on FP? Why is it so popular in comparison? Discuss something-anything- ...and you'll get an answer. Pretty cool people on this site.

So, since this is in the manga section, I thought a topic on mangas are acceptable.

I'm pretty sure everyone, or close to everyone, thought the "manga" section would be real mangas drawn by people. I was one of them. When i found out it wasn't though, i wasn't bumbed out or anything. I thought it was pretty cool. I love writing stories. I love reading mangas. I suck at drawing. This pretty much sums up why i liked the manga section here on FP. But what got me curious was this: How do you translate your manga ideas into novel format?

Most mangas/animes started off as light novels. Yup. Believe it. As an asian, I know. I stalk mangas. (ok, not really. But my brother does. He's more into mangas and how his favorite stories started out as, than i am.)

So, here's what I'm trying to get at: light novels= mangas. mangas= light novels. Which would you rather see your story in? How do you write up your "manga" story here on FP? As if you are writing a novel, or like you are trying to draw a manga? Which style is more fun to read?

Wild guess. Light novels are different from Dark novels and Heavy novels?

I don't even think of stories as manga anymore. I think of them more as movies or video games, especially since I learned to write screenplays before I learned to write novels. I translate that by making sure a scene works as well with text as it would on screen. Some stuff isn't as cool when read as it is when watched or played.

Feeling free to expland on random nothings, I have to ask: do certain songs inspire you to write? Because I've come across a few. Especially AMVs, it seems. The combo of good music and fun action scenes tends to get me into it. How about you, Lady Chopstick?

ah...no. light novels are short novels. Like...usually novels are around 300 pages +. Light novels are smaller, ranging around 100 pages. Have you ever heard of the anime "Melancholy of haruhi suzumiya"? That started off as a light novel series, and then turned into an anime after winning the sneaker prize.

I switch. Sometimes I think of it as a manga when writing (the characters looking like anime characters), and sometimes I write it like a movie. I guess it depends. I agree when you said that some stuff doesn't read well compared to watching them...it could work vice versa too. Some stuff just isn't made to be watch, but read.

I don't know about inspired, but i like listening to songs while I write. They give me a rythem. If the song is slow, the writing process is slow and there is more details in the story then action. If the song is fast pace, i write faster, and the story moves along faster too.

So, to sum it up, songs are for rythem, not really inspiration. AMVs are cool, but I don't use them to inspire me. If anything, talking to random people in the streets are the biggest inspiration for me when writing. Wheather it's the way they moved, what they said, how they said it, their story...that what motivates me to write.

We're different, then. People around me rarely do or say anything worth writing about, even my friends. Especially since I love writing action and there's not that much action around. So it's hard to take inspiration from them. If I wrote romance or drama or maybe comedy (I sometimes do), but my fantasy adventure ideas are fueled by other fantasies.

But I do get inspired by walking around my city, taking in the sights and such. I'm getting a camera so I can take pictures of the stuff that catches my eye. I could just take my laptop around and use the webcam on it, but that wouldn't turn out too good.

Though most people don't motivate me, the most inspiring people I've come across, funny enough, are homeless people. They all have a story and most just want somebody to listen. And give a little change. Somehow, I end up having conversations with them about their lives.

I've thought of just paying a bum a good amount of money to tell me their life story. I might do that. It would be a win-win, for sure. Of course, he or she might try to rob me or something. But I'm sure I'll be fine.

And about rhythm (rythem? And you call yourself a writer . . . :), I've found that fast-paced music doesn't necessarily make me write faster-paced, it just makes me write more stylish and flashy scenes (video game/manga-style over-the-top craziness). Slow music makes me write more grounded and realistic scenes.

I've got it. Before I beat the whole Queen & King thing to death, I have this final thing to say:

"You are now officially the Queen of the Rythem Nation. Long live the Queen."

shut up about my rythem. :p darn....i've been spelling it wrong all my life. haha but now I'm Queen of review and rythem? Niceee.... :)

Well, yeah. When it comes to fight scenes, you don't really see it in real life. I take those from movies and things. Actually...no. My brother has been in fights before, so i watched real fights. t's a mixture of things for me then.

anyways....good idea with the homeless people. :) i don't think you would need to pay them though; I'm sure they'll be happy if anyone wants to listen to them (although, giving them money for it would be nice of you).

Cameras. I agree. I try to take different types of art classes, or at least, be involved in it. It's a good way to be inspired. I walked around the art gallery in a class before, was so inspired by the art, i took pictures of it with my cell. The artist was flattered when i told her i wanted to use it in my story. :)

Pictures and music are always good inspiration for me, especially music. Listening to certain types help put me in the right state of mind (flamenco guitar helps with Legend of the Spells).

To me, going from novel to manga form is pretty easy. Since novel form has all the details written out, it gives you clear guidelines for what to draw, like using a script to storyboard. When the story is in my head, it plays out like a movie, but like you said, the characters are all anime style.

Ninja, you're finally here! That's cool. Now there are three people, besides me, on this thing. haha.

Flamenco guitar. Is that instrumental than? I don't really like listening to instrumental music when writing. I find them...distracting. Weird I know. Songs with lyrics should be distracting, but I find it actually helps. If I could write without hearing the lyrics, then I feel proud of myself since I was that focused. :)

Right about the characters. Anime style characters are easier to imagine I think. When thinking up a character, I try to have a real life person appear in my head, but it doesn't work. haha

Its usually instrumental but sometimes they have vocals. Those can be a little distracting though, because my knowledge of Spanish is fairly basic and I end up wondering what they're saying... Weird how that doesn't happen when I listen to music in Japanese though...

I can picture them as real life people too, actually I think of them that way before I draw the characters in manga style.

Maybe because we know if we tried really hard, we COULD understand spanish? Thus, we feel like we should listen to the spanish lyrics (where as with japanese, it's not as spoken as much...unless you live in japan). Or maybe that's just me. idk.

Maybe I'm not the curious type, but I never wonder what they're saying in either Japanese or Spanish songs. I'm a little self-absorbed, so that makes it hard to wonder about what other people are doing unless it involves me. It's possible for me to care, just harder than it is for most.

I think I only wonder what they're saying because I can understand some of the words and it's weird not having them in context. I can understand some of the words in japanese too, but I guess it just doesnt bother me as much.

Yeah, my mind is definitely kaotic. It just loves to hang on to fairly useless information and run with the tiniest spark of an idea. It's great for coming up with characters and stories but bad for actually remembering anything useful...

yeah...i do that too though. believe everyone is a guy on the internet until proven otherwise. i think cuz it's less insulting. I mean, if i was a guy and someone assumed i was a girl, i would be upset. but girls handle it better when they are mistaken as a guy at first- i think its cool how i could be genderless on the internet.

yeah, it is pretty cool. especially since a lot of times the conversation will change once they know you're a girl. They don't talk/joke about the same stuff anymore. why? i dunno. At least we dont have that problem here.

Ah, I've been mistaken for a girl online a few times before... though nowadays almost everyone assumes that I'm a guy. There was also one time when several people thought I was a trap (no, I'm not). Well, I'm not offended by it, in any case.

Also, more people are surprised that I'm Asian. Been living in the Philippines since I was born. Since I'm pretty good in English, almost everyone I met thought I was American.

you're not AMERICAN?! i need to recheck your profile....lol. yeah, your english is really good. are you sure you're not using babble fish? lol. that's what i use to translate stuff. haha. I'm asian too, but completly americanized. i only know english.

Yup. Guy until proven otherwise. Here its harder to tell at first, since we're all writers and can adjust our writing styles. Eventually, though, you can get a good read on people's emotions and reactions to things and figure what gender they likely are. Now on a few anime sites I checked out, its pretty obvious who's a girl and who's not.

In the Naruto forums, if you see "Sasgay sux" its a guy. No doubt. If its "Ooh Sasuke so sexy" its a chick all day long. No confusion there.

You're right, Ninja. A lot of guys do change around girls. I never understood that. Maybe its because I believe in gender equality and equal rights.

I figure both guys & girls have the right to be equally offened by me. I'm very conscious of that.

edit: two languages perfected? Awesome, bro. That's always impressed me about you and Outlawtoo. Seriously. I mean I barely know english. I only speak dice, really.